Gambiaj.com – (BAMAKO, Mali) – The military junta in Mali has severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine, accusing the country of being complicit in a severe defeat suffered by the Malian army and the Russian paramilitary group Wagner in late July. This decision, announced by Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, a spokesman for Mali’s government, marks a significant escalation in the nation’s diplomatic and military tensions.

The conflict in question took place in Tinzaouatene, a remote area on the Algerian border in northeastern Mali. Separatists and jihadists claimed responsibility for killing dozens of Malian soldiers and Wagner Group members during the battle. This confrontation is considered the heaviest defeat for Wagner in Africa to date, with both the Malian army and Wagner acknowledging substantial losses but withholding precise casualty figures.

Colonel Maiga condemned Ukraine’s alleged involvement, citing remarks by Andriy Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency. Yusov reportedly admitted on Ukrainian television that Ukraine had provided rebels with crucial data enabling their attack on Malian and Wagner forces. This claim, also disseminated by the Ukrainian ambassador to Senegal, has fueled Mali’s decision to cut diplomatic ties.

“The Malian government has taken note, with deep stupor, of the subversive words by which Andriy Yusov confessed to Ukraine’s involvement in a cowardly, treacherous, and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups that resulted in the death of elements of the Malian Defence and Security Forces,” stated Colonel Maiga.

Mali’s government views these acts as severe violations of its sovereignty and blatant foreign interference, asserting that they constitute support for international terrorism. Consequently, Mali plans to refer the matter to the appropriate judicial authorities and take measures to prevent any destabilization efforts from Ukrainian embassies within the region.

The fallout from these accusations has extended beyond Mali. Senegal, maintaining a stance of constructive neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, summoned the Ukrainian ambassador in Dakar after he shared a video supporting the recent attacks against Malian forces and their Russian allies. The Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that it would not tolerate any media propaganda related to the conflict within its borders.

Since 2022, Mali’s junta, led by Colonel Assimi Goita, has increasingly distanced itself from former allies such as France and its European partners, opting instead for closer military and political ties with Russia. This shift was underscored recently when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s support for Mali in a phone call with Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop.

The diplomatic rupture with Ukraine adds another layer of complexity to Mali’s already turbulent political landscape, highlighting the intricate web of international relations and conflicts affecting the region.